Detachable button and button fastening device



Dec. 15, 1959 .1. RUBENSTEIN 2,916,784

DETACHABLE BUTTON AND BUTTON FASTENING DEVICE Filed Feb. 23, 1955INVENTOR JULIA RUHNSTEIN.

ATTORNEY BY E M DETACHABLE BUTTON AND BUTTON FASTENING DEVICE JuliaRubenstein, New'York, N.Y. Application February 23, 1955, Serial No.490,037

' 1 Claim. ((31. 24-403 This invention relates to a detachable buttonand button fastening device which may be used either alone as a buttonor ornament or the like or whichmay be used as a fastening means forfastening buttons, ornaments and the like to garments. It constitutes animprovement over the invention which is disclosed and claimed in myco-pending patent applications, SerialNo. 338,744, filed nited States Pae on February 25, 1953 and Serial No. 368,147, filed on 1 July 15, 1953. The present application is a continuationin-part of these co-pendingpatent applications.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a button orbutton fastening device whichmayvery readily be attached to and detachedfrom an article of Wearing apparel. Animportant feature of the inventionis the mechanical movement of its locking pin. in my two co-pendingpatent applications the locking pin is mounted for pivotal movementbetween open and closed positions about an axiswhich is biased withrespect to the plane of the bodyof said button or buttonfasteningdevice. In'the present device on the other hand, the pivotal movement ofthe locking pin is about anaxis to which a radial line drawn from thecenter of the body of said button or button fastening device is normal.The locking pin itself is situated substantially along said radial linewhen it is in its closed position.

An important feature of this pivotal connection between the locking pinand the body of the button or button fastening device is the clearancewhich is provided to enable the locking pin to rock in addition to pivotin order to facilitate engagement and disengagement of its free end withits keeper. This rocking movement isabout an axis which isperpendicular'to the pivotal axis about which the locking pin pivots.

Another important feature of this invention is in relation to theconstruction of the locking pin. At one end the locking pin is providedwith ahead, which, inone case may be a rounded head and in another casea crossbar which, with'the shank of the locking pin, defines a T-shapedmemberf The body of the button or button fastening device is providedwith a curled peripheraliedge defining an'annular tunnel and aradialslot is provided in said. peripheral edge for the shank ofthe-locking pin. The head of the pin is held captive within said tunnelbehind said slot and the pin is thereby rendered free to pivot towardand away from its keeper which is situated in the curled peripheral edgediametrically opposite the slot. Thelength of the slot determines therange of 2,916,784 Patented Dec. 15, 1959 otal axis. By the same token,the axis of rotation would be perpendicular to the rocking axis.

The main body of the locking pin intermediate its two ends is bowed inthe form of a bail and its free end is pointed and bent laterally forready engagement with the keeper. It is this laterally bent pointed endwhich, together with the rocking (and rotative) movement of the lockingpin, enables said pin to engage said keeper Without flexing to anundesirable extent.

An important feature of this invention is its simplicity of'constructionand assembly. It consists simply of two components, one being a stampedand formed cap and the other being a bent pin. Thecap is readily stampedand formed by conventional stamping and forming means and the pin mayreadily be assembled therewith by simply inserting its head within thetunnel formed by its peripheral curled edge.

' steel, properly plated or coated to protect against rust and toprovide good appearance or it may be made of perforated sheet materialor metal cloth, screening or the like. 'The appearance and structurewould be precisely the same as in the case of ordinary sheet metal, savefor the holes, perforations or interstices. These holes, perforations orinterstices may be employed in connection with means for securingornaments, beads or the like to the cap of the present device, as bytying or sewing said ornaments, beads or the like to said perforated ormeshed material. If desired, such ornaments or beads may be cemented tothe cap of the device herein claimed and it will be observed in thespecification which follows that the cap is recessed to provide a pocketfor such ornaments, beads or the like, but such recessed construction isnot a critical part of this invention and the cap may be made without arecess for this purpose. Similarly, although the cap is shown in thedrawing to be disc-shaped, this is purely illustrative and it may bemade in other shapes as well, its central web may be pivotal movement ofthe locking pin. The clearances out of closed and opened positions, andnot only is it free to rock so as to facilitate locking or unlocking thepin, but it is also free to rotate about the axis of its shankimmediately adjacent said rounded head. The rocking axiswould.beperpendiculartd the pivotal axis and the axis ofv rotation wouldalso be perpendicular to the pivomitted, if desired, leaving a cap ofpurely annular shape.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a button and button fastening device showingits locking pin in open position.

Fig. 2 is a sectiontherethrough on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1' showing the locking pin'inclosed position. V

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the headed end of thelocking pin, said end'including a crossbar which serves as the head ofsaidpin. I

Fig. 5 is another fragmentary perspective view of the headed end of saidlocking pin, the head on said pin being substantially spherical inshape.

Fig. 6 is still another perspective fragmentary view of the headed endofthe locking pin, showing a head formed of the pin itself bent laterallyin both directions andproviding laterally opposite portionscorresponding to the ends of the crossbar shown in Fig. 4.

1 Referring now to the drawing, it will be observed that the button andbutton fastening device herein claimed comprises but two parts: Acap'lli and a locking pin 12. This'is important because the cap not onlyserves as a pivotal support for said locking pin but 'it also serves asa closure which encloses and conceals both operative ends of the lockingpingnamely, the pivotal end and the locking end. Consequently, there isno need to provide a cover for said cap which would serve as anenclosure to conceal these ends of the locking pin.

It will be seen that cap 10 is substantially circular in plan view'andthat it is provided with a disc-shaped platform 14 which occupies acentral position therein. The

peripheral edge of 'disc-shapedplatform 14-is bent to form an annularwall 16 which possesses the form of a truncated cone. The wide end ofsaid cone-shaped wall 16 is then curled to form an annular tubularperipheral portion 18 which defines an inner annular tunnel 20substantially circular in cross-section. I

It will appear from the foregoing, that cap 10 is generally disc-shapedin over-all form with a curled peripheral edge which defines an internalannular tunnel. A slot 22 is formed in said curled periphery, radiallyof the cap and a second slot 24 is formed in said curled peripherydiametrically opposite slot 22 and in substantial alignment therewith.Both slots render access to the tunnel possible.

A cut-out 26 is provided in the peripheral curled portion 18 and aslightly raised lip 28 is provided between said cut-out 26 and slot 24.It will shortly be observed that this lip is important in the lockingand unlocking of the entire device.

Locking pin 12 has a head 30 formed thereon or connected thereto at oneend. At its opposite end is a relatively sharp pointed portion 32 whichprojects laterally from the main body of said locking pin. Between head30 and pointed end 32 is a bowed portion or bail 34 which constitutesthe main body of the locking pin. It is this bail which locks the deviceherein claimed to a garment and it is' to this bail that a button may besecured.

The head of the locking pin 30 comprises a crossbar which is eitherconnected to or integral with the back end of bail 34. Said crossbarprojects laterally outwardly from both sides of said bail and togetherwith said bail defines a T-shaped member. It will be observed that slot22 accommodates the back end of bail 34 and crossbar 30 is held captivewithin tunnel 20. Crossbar 30 now functions as a pivot or fulcrum withinsaid tunnel Whereby the locking pin is enabled to pivot about thelongitudinal axis of said crossbar. Figs. 1 and 2 show the locking pinin open position and Fig. 3 shows it in closed position. It will beobserved that end wall 36 of slot 22 serves as a stop to prevent pivotalmovement of the locking pin in counter-clockwise direction beyond itsposi tion in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the back end of the locking pinincluding crossbar 30 which serves as its head. Fig. shows amodification of this construction in the form of a ball-shaped head 38mounted at the back end of a bail 34a which is similar to ball 34 abovementioned. This ball-shaped head need not necessarily be perfectlyspherical in shape. A rounded head would suffice for the purposes ofthis invention. Another variation is shown in Fig. 6 where a bail 34!),similar to bails 34 and 34a, is bent at its back end laterally outwardlyto form a portion 40, a bight 42 being provided at the end of saidlateral portion 40, a cross member 44 being formed at the end of saidbight 42 and terminating in a second bight 46, and an end piece 48 beingformed at the end of said second bight. End piece 48 and lateral porthatthe curled peripheral portion 18 serves as the keeper for said pointedend of the pin, preventing said pin from pivoting from closed to openposition.

Lip 28 engages the bend or crook of the locking pin which is formedbetween its bail portion 34 and its pointed end portion 32.' Thisprevents the locking pin from rocking and disengaging its pointed endfrom its keeper. However, when it is desired to open the pin, said pinmay be forced laterally past lip 28 so as to bring its pointed end 32into registration or partial registration with cut-out 26. The pointedend of the pin is now free from the curled periphery 18 which serves asits keeper and the pin may now be pivoted into open position as shown inFigs. 1 and 2. To close the pin, the procedure is reversed and the pinis rocked laterally so as to bring its pointed end into cut-out 26 andsaid pointed end is then forced past lip 28 and into engagement with thecurled periphery 18 on the opposite side of slot 24 from lip '28, Thebail itself projects into said slot 24.

The foregoing is illustrative of preferred forms of this invention andit will be understood that these preferred forms may be modified andother. forms may be provided within the broad spirit of the inventionand the broad scope of the claim. 1 v

I claim:

A button fastening device, comprising a cap having an elevated centrallydisposed platform portion of disc shape and a depressed curledperipheral portion concentric with said platform and defining aninternal annular tunnel subsantially circular in cross-section, therebeing a radial slot formed in said curled peripheral portion, a lockingpin having a head disposed within said tunnel behind the peripheralportion defining said radial slot, said head being larger than theradial slot to prevent dislodgment of said head through said radialslot, the shank of the locking pin projecting through said radial slotand being pivotally movable longitudinally of said radial slot about aan axis to which said radial slot is normal, the head of tion 40 are inaxial alignment with each other and they I 7 function in substantiallythe same manner as crossbar 30 above mentioned. In both cases, the headcomprises a pair of laterally projecting portions which are axiallyaligned and to which the back end of the bail is normal.

It will be understood that the head of the pin, whether it be crossbar30 or ball 38 or lateral members 40 and 48, is wider than slot 22 sothat it cannot pull through. It will also be understood that there issubstantial clearance between the head of the pin and the inside wall oftunnel 2t) and there is also clearance between the bail itself and theside edges 50 and 52 of the slot so as to enable the pin to rocklaterally as well as to pivot either forwardly or backwardly to thepositions shown in Figs. 3 and 1.

When the locking pin is in locked position, its pointed end 32 isdisposed within tunnel 20 and the forward end of its bail 34 projectsinto .slot 24. It is clear, therefore,

said pin functioning as the pivot for such movement, the clearancebetween the shank of the pin and the edges of the radial slot beingsufficient to enable the pin to rock about an axis perpendicular to saidpivotal axis across the top of said platform, and a keeper provided inthe curled peripheral portion of said cap diametrically opposite saidradial slot, the free end of said pin being bent laterally for,engagement with said keeper, the shank of the pin between its said headand its said bent free end being bowed to form a bail adapted to engagea shanktype button, the head of the locking pin comprising a portion ofthe shank of said locking pin which is bent laterally to one side of thepin and then across to the opposite side and then back into alignmentwith the first laterally bent portion, the keeper comprising a portionof the curled peripheral portion of the cap, said keeper being adaptedto engage the free end of the pin when said free end is moved into thetunnel within said curled peripheral portion, there being an openingbeing provided in said curled peripheral portion through which said freeend of the pin is adapted to pass into said tunnel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

